The most interesting man in the New England Patriots organization this upcoming might not be the quarterback. It might not be the head coach. It just might be the guy who will be relied upon by both through the 2025 season and beyond.
Josh McDaniels is in a fascinating spot in his career. After being fired by the Las Vegas Raiders as their head coach in the middle of the 2023 season, he spent his year away from coaching to study the game. He picked the brains of football people he respects. He’s seen different ways of doing things. And now he has an opportunity to try to revive a Patriots offense that has wallowed in ineptitude since his departure following the 2021 season.
Questions abound.
How much has he changed? What will define his scheme? Why will he be able to make it work with a staff full of coaches — several of whom have been coordinators or head coaches themselves — with whom he has little working experience? Perhaps most importantly, how will he get the most out of a quarterback whose physical traits he really hasn’t had before?
They’re questions we set out to answer on Next Pats this week.
🔊 Next Pats Podcast: Why Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye will PRODUCE in 2025 | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
With Maye headed into Year 2, we are in the process of ranking the Patriots among the NFL’s other 31 clubs in three categories — playmakers, play-callers and protection units — to try to quantify exactly what kind of ecosystem the team has built around its young quarterback. Our friends Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of the Move the Sticks podcast and NFL Media call those categories “The Three Ps,” which they’ve deemed critical for the success and growth of any young quarterback.
Last week, we ranked the Patriots’ playmaker group (running backs, receivers and tight ends) 31st in the league. In our latest installment of this series, focused on play-callers league-wide, McDaniels will rank higher. Decidedly.
Why? He’s shown a clear willingness to adjust, which should serve him well as he takes on this role once again. He ran a spread offense in 2007 that rewrote record books. In 2012, he continued what Bill O’Brien started in operating a dynamic two-tight end scheme that forced the football-watching world to re-think the position.
In 2018, McDaniels changed on the fly to become more of a grind-it-out rushing attack with fullback James Develin. In 2020, he shifted from Tom Brady to Cam Newton and used his new quarterback’s legs to his advantage.
In the spring alone, media members were allowed the opportunity to watch McDaniels do what McDaniels does, which is… a little bit of everything. He changed personnel groupings at the drop of a hat, using two backs, two tight ends and a fullback. He changed formations, going from heavier groupings with extra offensive linemen to empty shotgun looks. He used screens and deep shots, and slot receivers were peppered with targets.
But perhaps what will help McDaniels the most in our rankings of the league’s play-callers is what he did the last time he worked in Foxboro.
In 2021, he helped a rookie quarterback turn the Patriots into one of the most efficient offenses in the league. You read that right. With Mac Jones, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, McDaniels helped the Patriots finish sixth in points scored. They also ranked 10th in EPA per play and fourth in success rate.
It was a remarkable feat that helped him land his second head-coaching gig. Now he’s back. And despite having one of the least-sexy complements of weapons in football once again, he’ll have an opportunity to return the Patriots offense to relevancy.
Without further ado, here’s how we ranked the NFL’s play-callers for 2025.
Best of the best
1. Sean McVay, head coach, Los Angeles Rams
2. Andy Reid, head coach, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Kyle Shanahan, head coach, San Francisco 49ers
The wizards
4. Kevin O’Connell, head coach, Minnesota Vikings
5. Matt LaFleur, head coach, Green Bay Packers
6. Sean Payton, head coach, Denver Broncos
7. Ben Johnson, head coach, Chicago Bears
The artists
8. Mike McDaniel, head coach, Miami Dolphins
9. Kevin Stefanski, head coach, Cleveland Browns
10. Todd Monken, offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens
In good hands
11. Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator, New England Patriots
12. Brian Daboll, head coach, New York Giants
13. Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Joe Brady, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills
How can Josh McDaniels develop his offense with Drake Maye at the helm? Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry break it down on Quick Slants
I’m interested
15. Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator, Las Vegas Raiders
16. Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders
17. Drew Petzing, offensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals
18. Liam Coen, head coach, Jacksonville Jaguars
Known commodities
19. Zac Taylor, head coach, Cincinnati Bengals
20. Shane Steichen, head coach, Indianapolis Colts
21. Greg Roman, offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers
Need more information
22. Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator, New Orleans Saints
23. Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
24. Dave Canales, head coach, Carolina Panthers
25. Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons
26. Brian Callahan, head coach, Tennessee Titans
27. Brian Schottenheimer, head coach, Dallas Cowboys
Anyone’s guess
28. Nick Caley, offensive coordinator, Houston Texans
29. Kevin Patullo, offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles
30. John Morton, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions
31. Tanner Engstrand, offensive coordinator, New York Jets
32. Josh Grizzard, offensive coordinator, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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